If everything is as it has to be and nothing can be otherwise but so, then where is free will? Because this kind of existence means that the divine force has the decissions and we don't, doesn't it?
I better like to think of something what definitely scares me more - but offers the possibility of greater joy: that the world is something like an ocean of possibilities, in which every moment is one expression of some sort of possibilities in which the possibilities become actual events. And we have our mission in experiencing these present events, without worrying about the next events or the coming possibilities. But in every moment, we are the one to make the decission over the possibility, we choose and we decide how to form reality through time.
And yet, we don't have to worry. It's just that knowing that fear is unnecessary does not make me capable of being brave... hence my human drama :)
I better like to think of something what definitely scares me more - but offers the possibility of greater joy: that the world is something like an ocean of possibilities, in which every moment is one expression of some sort of possibilities in which the possibilities become actual events. And we have our mission in experiencing these present events, without worrying about the next events or the coming possibilities. But in every moment, we are the one to make the decission over the possibility, we choose and we decide how to form reality through time.
And yet, we don't have to worry. It's just that knowing that fear is unnecessary does not make me capable of being brave... hence my human drama :)
If everything is as it has to be and nothing can be otherwise but so, then where is free will? Because this kind of existence means that the divine force has the decissions and we don't, doesn't it?
I better like to think of something what definitely scares me more - but offers the possibility of greater joy: that the world is something like an ocean of possibilities, in which every moment is one expression of some sort of possibilities in which the possibilities become actual events. And we have our mission in experiencing these present events, without worrying about the next events or the coming possibilities. But in every moment, we are the one to make the decission over the possibility, we choose and we decide how to form reality through time.
And yet, we don't have to worry. It's just that knowing that fear is unnecessary does not make me capable of being brave... hence my human drama :)
I better like to think of something what definitely scares me more - but offers the possibility of greater joy: that the world is something like an ocean of possibilities, in which every moment is one expression of some sort of possibilities in which the possibilities become actual events. And we have our mission in experiencing these present events, without worrying about the next events or the coming possibilities. But in every moment, we are the one to make the decission over the possibility, we choose and we decide how to form reality through time.
And yet, we don't have to worry. It's just that knowing that fear is unnecessary does not make me capable of being brave... hence my human drama :)
It's a interesting point you bring here... Saying that we may not have free will is a taboo for a lot of people. It seems to destroy liberty!
It may sound too "mystic" (and trust me I'm not a mystic!), but I would say something like: It's only your ego that wants free will. What is the ego? The part in you that thinks you are separated from the rest of the existence. When this one dies (or shut up), then your only will remaining, the only thing that will still makes you happy, is to accept what is, without any change. Contemplating the "here and now" without interfering too much.
I don't know what to answer, really. Except that I feel, for myself, that everything is deeply interconnected and "free will" may not be what we use to think it is. Of course you can make choices. Of course you can create. But to accept what is, like it is, and to trust it, is also a choice!
By the way, may I ask you a question? If you were "brave", without fear, what would you do?
It's a interesting point you bring here... Saying that we may not have free will is a taboo for a lot of people. It seems to destroy liberty!
It may sound too "mystic" (and trust me I'm not a mystic!), but I would say something like: It's only your ego that wants free will. What is the ego? The part in you that thinks you are separated from the rest of the existence. When this one dies (or shut up), then your only will remaining, the only thing that will still makes you happy, is to accept what is, without any change. Contemplating the "here and now" without interfering too much.
I don't know what to answer, really. Except that I feel, for myself, that everything is deeply interconnected and "free will" may not be what we use to think it is. Of course you can make choices. Of course you can create. But to accept what is, like it is, and to trust it, is also a choice!
By the way, may I ask you a question? If you were "brave", without fear, what would you do?
It may sound too "mystic" (and trust me I'm not a mystic!), but I would say something like: It's only your ego that wants free will. What is the ego? The part in you that thinks you are separated from the rest of the existence. When this one dies (or shut up), then your only will remaining, the only thing that will still makes you happy, is to accept what is, without any change. Contemplating the "here and now" without interfering too much.
I don't know what to answer, really. Except that I feel, for myself, that everything is deeply interconnected and "free will" may not be what we use to think it is. Of course you can make choices. Of course you can create. But to accept what is, like it is, and to trust it, is also a choice!
By the way, may I ask you a question? If you were "brave", without fear, what would you do?
The goal of Buddhism is to become something like an ultimate observer, without changing anything unnecessarily. If I understood you right, this is what you believe to be the point too. My problem with this concept is that the world must not be just for being, without changing. There have to be things what have to change other things in the world. Without things interfering with each other there would be nothing to observe, and even no observer's presence could be.
About free will, I don't say there is or isn't free will. I can't even really describe what free will means or how it should work. I just know that there are things in this universe which are not precise, or cannot be measured precisely (see the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for more info). Try to imagine this like a set of possibilities of which only one exact possibility can become a real event. What chooses of the possibilities? Let's say the divine force is the chooser. But you are one with that. You are interconnected with the divine force, you and the divine force are the same thing. So who chooses then? You. And this is what I call free will (although it might not be the same like the free will in the philosophical view). And this means that although only one possibility becomes an event in reality, we are the particular beings who decide which possibility to choose. This is a theory based on quantum physics and it's really not a theme for a sunday afternoon coffee with the family members, but it's worth to dig yourself into it. I'll maybe write the sum of it in a future answer here.
For sure there is another way: that noone or nothing is choosing anything - it just happens. But this would lead to a conclusion that no criminal can be punished and no behavior can be judged because everything is in a way as it has to be. If I have no free will then I can do whatever "I want to" because it's not really me who wants it, I was just born under a wrong sign... This would definitely destroy everything we call civilization. So even if someone could prove that there is no free will, it may never be published for the sake of us all.
As for fear and bravery, if I could behave as brave as I desire then I would face all my problems and leave them behind once and for all. Because problems and difficulties are those things which show us a direction of evolving. If you solve a problem or you learn how to eliminate it properly, then you become better in some way. Maybe you won't be a better person but you'll be stronger. Or you'll have an experience what helps you in further cases. If you never face problems then you become weak, your fears overcome on you and your life will become a short way deterioration. Look at nature. The basis of evolution is natural selection, the selection pressure. It's a force what living creatures have to face, and the more powerful creatures will survive. They overcome this force and live further, while the creatures with less power, lower capabilities or whatever will fall and they will be erased from the history of this planet. And this change leads to a new selection pressure. A new condition holds new possibilities in which maybe the previously strong creatures prove to be weak against some other living beings.
Fear is a natural reaction of these pressures, the problems or difficulties of life. Humanity has an attitude of 'not realizing problems' or 'trying to overcome problems without solving them'. This leads to weakness, and according to my childhood, I never had to fight, so I suffer now. My bravery is like a dream and I have to learn now, near 30, how to make this dream my reality. See, if there is no free will, if I can't make a choice then I would prepare for my death and not for a new life now. But I can change. Whatever gives me the power to it, I am the one to decide to use, misuse or not use that power.
Being brave doesn't mean that you're not afraid. So if I would be brave, I would face my fear. And of course, all the things around changing start with facing one small fear...
To sum up my more than long comment (sorry), the point is that cowardice or "inner weakness" is a mindset and not a fact. And because of this, the decision is in our hand.
The goal of Buddhism is to become something like an ultimate observer, without changing anything unnecessarily. If I understood you right, this is what you believe to be the point too. My problem with this concept is that the world must not be just for being, without changing. There have to be things what have to change other things in the world. Without things interfering with each other there would be nothing to observe, and even no observer's presence could be.
About free will, I don't say there is or isn't free will. I can't even really describe what free will means or how it should work. I just know that there are things in this universe which are not precise, or cannot be measured precisely (see the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for more info). Try to imagine this like a set of possibilities of which only one exact possibility can become a real event. What chooses of the possibilities? Let's say the divine force is the chooser. But you are one with that. You are interconnected with the divine force, you and the divine force are the same thing. So who chooses then? You. And this is what I call free will (although it might not be the same like the free will in the philosophical view). And this means that although only one possibility becomes an event in reality, we are the particular beings who decide which possibility to choose. This is a theory based on quantum physics and it's really not a theme for a sunday afternoon coffee with the family members, but it's worth to dig yourself into it. I'll maybe write the sum of it in a future answer here.
For sure there is another way: that noone or nothing is choosing anything - it just happens. But this would lead to a conclusion that no criminal can be punished and no behavior can be judged because everything is in a way as it has to be. If I have no free will then I can do whatever "I want to" because it's not really me who wants it, I was just born under a wrong sign... This would definitely destroy everything we call civilization. So even if someone could prove that there is no free will, it may never be published for the sake of us all.
As for fear and bravery, if I could behave as brave as I desire then I would face all my problems and leave them behind once and for all. Because problems and difficulties are those things which show us a direction of evolving. If you solve a problem or you learn how to eliminate it properly, then you become better in some way. Maybe you won't be a better person but you'll be stronger. Or you'll have an experience what helps you in further cases. If you never face problems then you become weak, your fears overcome on you and your life will become a short way deterioration. Look at nature. The basis of evolution is natural selection, the selection pressure. It's a force what living creatures have to face, and the more powerful creatures will survive. They overcome this force and live further, while the creatures with less power, lower capabilities or whatever will fall and they will be erased from the history of this planet. And this change leads to a new selection pressure. A new condition holds new possibilities in which maybe the previously strong creatures prove to be weak against some other living beings.
Fear is a natural reaction of these pressures, the problems or difficulties of life. Humanity has an attitude of 'not realizing problems' or 'trying to overcome problems without solving them'. This leads to weakness, and according to my childhood, I never had to fight, so I suffer now. My bravery is like a dream and I have to learn now, near 30, how to make this dream my reality. See, if there is no free will, if I can't make a choice then I would prepare for my death and not for a new life now. But I can change. Whatever gives me the power to it, I am the one to decide to use, misuse or not use that power.
Being brave doesn't mean that you're not afraid. So if I would be brave, I would face my fear. And of course, all the things around changing start with facing one small fear...
To sum up my more than long comment (sorry), the point is that cowardice or "inner weakness" is a mindset and not a fact. And because of this, the decision is in our hand.
About free will, I don't say there is or isn't free will. I can't even really describe what free will means or how it should work. I just know that there are things in this universe which are not precise, or cannot be measured precisely (see the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for more info). Try to imagine this like a set of possibilities of which only one exact possibility can become a real event. What chooses of the possibilities? Let's say the divine force is the chooser. But you are one with that. You are interconnected with the divine force, you and the divine force are the same thing. So who chooses then? You. And this is what I call free will (although it might not be the same like the free will in the philosophical view). And this means that although only one possibility becomes an event in reality, we are the particular beings who decide which possibility to choose. This is a theory based on quantum physics and it's really not a theme for a sunday afternoon coffee with the family members, but it's worth to dig yourself into it. I'll maybe write the sum of it in a future answer here.
For sure there is another way: that noone or nothing is choosing anything - it just happens. But this would lead to a conclusion that no criminal can be punished and no behavior can be judged because everything is in a way as it has to be. If I have no free will then I can do whatever "I want to" because it's not really me who wants it, I was just born under a wrong sign... This would definitely destroy everything we call civilization. So even if someone could prove that there is no free will, it may never be published for the sake of us all.
As for fear and bravery, if I could behave as brave as I desire then I would face all my problems and leave them behind once and for all. Because problems and difficulties are those things which show us a direction of evolving. If you solve a problem or you learn how to eliminate it properly, then you become better in some way. Maybe you won't be a better person but you'll be stronger. Or you'll have an experience what helps you in further cases. If you never face problems then you become weak, your fears overcome on you and your life will become a short way deterioration. Look at nature. The basis of evolution is natural selection, the selection pressure. It's a force what living creatures have to face, and the more powerful creatures will survive. They overcome this force and live further, while the creatures with less power, lower capabilities or whatever will fall and they will be erased from the history of this planet. And this change leads to a new selection pressure. A new condition holds new possibilities in which maybe the previously strong creatures prove to be weak against some other living beings.
Fear is a natural reaction of these pressures, the problems or difficulties of life. Humanity has an attitude of 'not realizing problems' or 'trying to overcome problems without solving them'. This leads to weakness, and according to my childhood, I never had to fight, so I suffer now. My bravery is like a dream and I have to learn now, near 30, how to make this dream my reality. See, if there is no free will, if I can't make a choice then I would prepare for my death and not for a new life now. But I can change. Whatever gives me the power to it, I am the one to decide to use, misuse or not use that power.
Being brave doesn't mean that you're not afraid. So if I would be brave, I would face my fear. And of course, all the things around changing start with facing one small fear...
To sum up my more than long comment (sorry), the point is that cowardice or "inner weakness" is a mindset and not a fact. And because of this, the decision is in our hand.
Do you think humanity will still be alive in 999 999 999 999 999 years?
Where are you going, now?
If you would face all your problems and stop this "inner weakness", what would you do? What are your ultimate goals?
My turn to say I'm sorry for this short comment, maybe I'll post something else soon.
Do you think humanity will still be alive in 999 999 999 999 999 years?
Where are you going, now?
If you would face all your problems and stop this "inner weakness", what would you do? What are your ultimate goals?
My turn to say I'm sorry for this short comment, maybe I'll post something else soon.
Where are you going, now?
If you would face all your problems and stop this "inner weakness", what would you do? What are your ultimate goals?
My turn to say I'm sorry for this short comment, maybe I'll post something else soon.
Hey, I can't even imagine 999 999 999 999 999 years, I don't even know how to spell this number :)
Now I'm going on a way which eventually leads to the way on which I pretend to walk for the rest of my life. As if I'd have any ideas where that will lead... :)
I have no ultimate goals. But if I would choose one then it would be eternity - i.e. eternal conscious existence with all my memories and experiences, not necessarily in this (or any) body.
Do you think humanity will still be alive in 999 999 999 999 999 years?
Where are you going, now?
If you would face all your problems and stop this "inner weakness", what would you do? What are your ultimate goals?
My turn to say I'm sorry for this short comment, maybe I'll post something else soon.
Where are you going, now?
If you would face all your problems and stop this "inner weakness", what would you do? What are your ultimate goals?
My turn to say I'm sorry for this short comment, maybe I'll post something else soon.
I was thinking... Actually I have goals but they're not ultimate, they're subjective. It's happiness, balance, success and such things - pretty average, nothing special. Of course, my subjective things are actually very special for me :)
Eternity is very interesting for me. It means that your only limit can be time. Whatever you can't reach you can learn to reach and eventually you can become capable of reaching anything. But someday you'll be as good as dead, and you (probably) won't have any possibilities anymore. Finding the "potion of eternal life" dissolves this problem and your life becomes truly limitless.
There is an ancient egyptian writting, called The Emerald Tablets of Thoth, which contains a description of a life-lengthening process. Somehow it even makes sense. It says that our life energy is based on the planet's energy. If we balance our energy according to the planet's magnetic poles then we stay young and healthy, our life energy stays strong and we'll have as long life as the planet's existence. It also describes how to reach this balace. It takes 2 hours daily - unfortunately I'm too impatient to try it for months or years just to see if it works or not. But it would be fun :)
Note that I use the words "divine force" and not "god" because my belief has very little to do with religion (that I hate in general) and I do not believe in a human-looking god. I try to separate my view of a divine force as much as I can of the "god" as seen by many religions. But, without calling it "god", yes, I still do believe in a divine force. Something that is mandatory for the existence to be. Something that is eternal and is everything. The source that allows existence to be instead of an eternal nothingness.
Until this year, I felt I had to find the meaning of my life. I felt I had to find a spiritual path. I thought this was the only thing that mattered in the world. I felt like I was imperfect and had to evolve, in order to be closer to the divine force, in order to realize myself. This quest was my only interest for a couple of years. I read a lot about spirituality, I thought a lot about it, I speaked a lot about it. I even became close to crazy because I was thinking about those questions too much! But I didn't find anything satisfiying.
This year is a turning point for me. A new perception of those questions has appeared in me.
Before, for some reason, I thought that even if this divine force existed, my life was kind of separated from it. Yes, the divine force may well be the fondation without which I (and everything else) wouldn't exist, but I felt my life was kind of separated from this force. Like if this force had "created" the world, the universe, the human beings, everything, but after would have left its creation alone! I thought my own existence had its origin in this force, but that I was now on my own. Like if the divine force would have created me and then said: "Now you are separated from me. Live your life, try to make good decisions, try to avoid pitfalls, try to evolve spiritually. If you become spiritual enough you may be able to reach me". I felt like I was on my own and had to deal with the divine force that was something external to me.
But if I really believe in this divine force, a force so powerful that it is the source of the existence itself, how can I doubt I'm not currently living what I have to live? I mean, if I believe that this force exists I should have total trust in life, without any worry at all. I'm a part of this divine force! This divine force "knows" everything about me, my life, my thoughts.. This divine force is everything, everything is a part of it. Every single though I have is made of this divine force, everything is made of it, everything is interconnected. How the hell could everything not be perfect? How could I have something to do, a mandatory path to find and follow, or otherwise I would "miss my life"?
I now think everything is the way it has to be. I don't believe anymore there are pitfalls to be afraid of, mandatory spiritual paths to find. If you believe in the divine force, you have to admit you can't be lost. You are a part of the divine force, it knows everything, it is everything.. How could you be lost?
I still don't know what the meaning of life is, or if that notion of "meaning of life" could even make sense. But I truly don't care anymore, because I believe everything is the way is has to be. It can't be othewise because I believe in a divine force so powerful it's the reason the eternal nothigness is not... And everything, including my life, is made of this force. There is no need to worry at all. If you have to learn/find something, you'll learn/find it. If you don't, it's ok.